The su[m] of diuinitie drawn out of the holy scripture very necessary, not only for curates [et] yong studentes in diuinitie: but also for al christen men and women what soeuer age they be of. Drawn out of Latine into Englyshe by Robert Hutten.

¶Of predestination.

☞What is predestination?

IT is a certayne fore ordeynyng of god, wherby al thynges come to passe, as well inwarde as outwarde workes and though∣tes, in all creatures, accordynge vnto the decre of the wyll of god

Election or choyse, whereby God hath chosen vs in hym selfe before the grounde workes of the world were laied, that we should be vnreprouable before hym by charity, that he myght by electiō chose vs to be hys chylder by Ie∣sus Christ in hym selfe, according vnto the pleasure of hys wyll E∣phe. v. And Mathe. x. of the two sparowes. &c.

☞Wherupon must predestinatiō beginne▪

Not of the lawe nor yet of rea∣son, but of the gospell, wherby the promesse is vniuersalle. If anye man searche for the cause of elec∣tion wythout the gospel, he must nedes erre. Besyde that if anye man go aboute to make a perty∣cular

promyse, of the vnyuersall promyse: he shall make the pro∣mise plainly vncertaine and take away fayth. Wherefore predesti∣nacion must be estemed by y^e vni∣uersal promise. That done, no o∣ther occasiō shal remayne of trou¦blynge of mynde wyth anye par∣ticularnes.

How many maners of predestination be ther?

¶Two. One of obligatiō or ne¦cessitie, and the other of cōdition. Obligaciō is y^e necessytye of pre∣sent thinges as if a thing apeare to be presēt by the prouisiō of god y^e of necessite, must come to passe, although it haue no natural nece¦ssity, as it is necessary that al men be mortall. God so prouidynge.

Conditiō is, as if Adam shal eate of the apple, he shal dye. If Isra∣ell shal walke in the way of y^e lord and kepe his commaundementes it shalbe saued, if y^u shalt receyue the gospel and beleueinge stycke

vnto it vnto the ende of thy life thou shallt be saued, but if thou wilte not receyue it thou shalt be condempned.

So Saynte Austyne, God made predestination wyth man▪ that if he woulde be obedyente vnto hym, and abstaine from the tasting of the forbiden apple, he shoulde remayne in lyfe, but if he woulde be disobedient, he shoulde be in daunger of death.

For we be predestinate vnder a condicyon, that if we wyll re∣ceyue the worde, we shall be the chylder of God, if not, we shalbe condempned.

ii. Timothe .ii. Paule sayeth. If anye man wylle pourge hym¦selfe from these, that is to saye, frome false and vngodlye doctri∣nes, he shalbe a vessell sanctifyed into the honor applyed vnto the

vse of the Lorde prepared vnto e∣uery good worke.

☞Shew places of the scripture whiche de∣clare the promisse to be vniuersal.

¶Paule. Romaynes .iii. The ryghtuousnesse of God by the fayeth of Iesus Christe, whyche is in all and vpon al.

And Rome .x. The same is Lord of al, rich towarde al which call vpon him.

¶Also, God wylle all men to be saued God wyll not the death of a synner, but rather that he be conuerted and liue.

Ezech. xviii. Mathewe .xi.

Comme vnto me al ye whiche laboure and are Laden, and I shall refreshe you. Iohn the iii. Chapter.

☞That all whyche beleue in hym shoulde not peryshe, but haue euerlastynge lyfe.

Also. Actes .x. Wyth god is no di∣fference of personnes. With these and suche sentences muste consci¦ences be vpholdē against natural mistruste and desperation. But because the euel cometh of vs, we muste take heede that we gyue not oure selfe wyllingly vnto na¦tural mystruste, and resyste the promisse, but we amendynge our lyfe muste beleue the promisse.